The past is the Future
by Raven McBain
Summary: A new League has to be formed to go back in time to save the first one. Please reveiw. It's been modified a bit so it should be easier to read. chp. 8 up
1. Authors story notes

Ok I would like to say a few things about my new story.  
  
1) Raven is an immortal, she stole an aztek idol, and know it resides around her neck and won't let her go.  
  
2) The year is 2100.  
  
3)Raven joined the League shortly after Quartermain's death.  
  
4) The League was made official and became an organization that schools children in their powers, is involved in world politics, keepers of the peace and has many teams.  
  
5) Maccos are a military group that trains it's operatives from birth to be perfect fighters.  
  
6) Atlantis was discovered by the League in 2043.  
  
7) This mostly follows the original movie but from my characters perspectives as they try to stay away from the original League so as not to change history.  
  
8) I do not own the original league, or the original villains.  
  
9) Tech-voids were created when a scientist tried to cure birth defects in children with nanobots, which caused both mothers and children to age fast and have the ability to control technology. They are feared and hated by the public because the early tech-voids went insane.  
  
10) Luckster is a person who can control luck.  
  
11) Shezret is a curse word used to refer to people who have mental powers but dont use them or use them for the wrong reasons. 


	2. Dreams and Introductions

Dreams and Introductions  
  
The sky is in turmoil, strange lights fill it, the colors shift like the facets of a rainbow. Under this strange sky, a tall teenage girl runs into a large building, her long brown hair trailing behind. There is a look of confusion on her slender face. In front of her is a large, metallic building, as she got closer she could see the words "League of Extraordinariness." in big bold writing.   
  
"I can't believe it I'm home" she whispered. Her brown eyes light up with joy. She had not been in this building for many years. She had joined the League shortly after it's first mission. She missed that time, it was so much more simpler then this time of democracy, and politics. She had ben kicked out for yelling and talking down to a "superior." The immortal scoffed at that thought the only thing she bowed down to was the confounded necklace on her neck, that gave her this bratlin immortality in the first place.   
  
All thoughts of the past flew from her mind as she saw the children running towards her, she scooped up little Penny, a four year old luckster who she had practically adopted. Oh the beautiful girl looked just like she did all those years ago, when she had last seen her in person. Which was wrong, the little four year old would be at least nine by now, she even knew that from messages and holo visits, this obviously wasn't real.   
  
A warm breeze had been flowing but as she stood there the air began to get cold. The wind picked up and whipped around her. The sky turned dark and everything around her disappeared. She could hear a voice chanting on the wind and calling her name "RAVEN!"  
  
Everything seemed to whip around and reality folded in on itself. All that can be seen flash's of the past and what looks to be the future. The most strong bits are scenes of Quartermain and M locked in their death fight. As reality finally settles down there are two strong young men playing games in a large beautiful field. The younger man was laughing helplessly, his long blond hair hiding his features. The other man glared down, using his best, patented, older brother glare.   
  
These two young men couldn't believe that mere hours before they had been running for their lives from the government. They had been running in one form or another their whole lives.   
  
Their mother had died of a fever giving birth to young Justin, when Bobby was only five. They had both gotten sick but a military splinter group know as the Macos had saved there lives. As they grew older they realized they had developed powers because of this fever. Bobby could throw ice and Justin could throw fire.   
  
Bobby shot a stream of ice playfully at Justin, while the young man retaliated by throwing a fire ball up at the ice-maker.   
  
"Alright you two time to come in." said a female voice, they both started, that was their mothers voice, they had heard it in recordings. Then they realized, this isn't real.   
  
A warm breeze had been flowing but as they stood there the air began to get cold. The wind picked up and whipped around the brothers. The sky turned dark and everything around the two boys disappeared. They could hear a voice chanting on the wind and calling their names "JUSTIN, BOBBY!"   
  
Everything seemed to whip around and reality folded in on itself. All that can be seen flash's of the past and what looks to be the future. The most strong are scenes of Jekyll drinking the potion and becoming Hyde and Skinner heroically leaping in front of the "iron man" to save Tom. As reality finally settles down there is a room filled with people. There is a young boy of around eight sitting at a table surrounded by presents. It is his birthday.  
  
The boy turns to look at a mirror ad sees himself, but as a young man, his eyes pure steal grey and his hair prematurely turning white. The boy knows this is all a lie, he's a tech-void, so he never had a childhood. As he hears people singing him happy birthday he cries. He can control technology because of the nanobots in his system but they also made him age rapidly.  
  
A warm breeze had been flowing but as he sat there the air began to get cold. The wind picked up and whipped around the boy. The sky turned dark and everything around him disappeared. He could hear a voice chanting on the wind and calling his name "BENJAMIN!"   
  
Everything seemed to whip around and reality folded in on itself. All that can be seen flash's of the past and what looks to be the future. The most strong are scenes of Tom readying himself to deliver the fatal shoot to M. As reality finally settles down the ocean is stretching out everywhere. We see a young women, with long unnaturally red hair and gills.   
  
Her father was Atlantian, her mother was a diplomat from Canada, They had both had genetic changes done so they could be together, and so she could breath water and air. She felt like a freak in both worlds. After her parents died she had thrown herself into the military, and tried to fit in, but she didn't belong on land or in water.   
  
Right now though she was perfect, nothing to prove, no one to satisfy but herself. Just her and the sea creatures. As she swam she felt the presences of two people coming up behind her. She kept telling herself it couldn't be but she just knew it was her parents.   
  
"Hi honey, did you miss us?" her mother asked while wrapping her up in a hug. The redheads only thought was, this couldn't possibly be real. She must be dreaming.   
  
A warm current had been flowing but as she swam the water began to get cold. The current picked up and whipped around the halfling. The sky turned dark and everything around her disappeared. She could hear a voice chanting on the wind and calling his name "Aquial"   
  
Everything seemed to whip around and reality folded in on itself. All that can be seen flash's of the past and what looks to be the future. The most strong are scenes of Mina fighting Dorian, venomously trying to destroy him. As reality finally settles down all there is are colors, a plain of colors, stretching out everywhere, no people, no animal, not even any plants. The only thing there was a middle aged women, with purple eyes, and long silver hair.  
  
She was a telepath and she knew she was in deep meditation. She also knew something was wrong, she was receiving images that were not from her own mind. Images of pain and fear and hope. It was like she was linked with these other people, but why she had no clue. She felt a warm breeze which was odd as usually there was none here.  
  
A warm breeze had been flowing but as she stood there the air began to get cold. The wind picked up and whipped around her. The sky turned dark and everything around her disappeared. She could hear a voice chanting on the wind and calling her name "Mystique!"  
  
Everything seemed to whip around and reality folded in on itself. All that can be seen flash's of the past and what looks to be the future. The most strong bits are scenes of Nemo fighting M's minions, moving so fast he is basically a blur. As reality finally settles down there is A man completely dressed in black, laughing and obviously doing some kind of spell.  
  
"Goodbye, League of Extraordinariness, your past is doomed!" He was going to go back and stop the first League, probably destroying them. As he spoke he leapt into some kind of portal. It was just like the sky and the folds in time restless, revolving, but this was angry. The room he was in had been dark but was now blasted with light.   
  
Raven fell out of her small cot that she slept in while in her little cabin out in the middle of nowhere, her breathing was practically in pants, and she was sweating profusely. /Now I'm going to have to go to the place I hate the most, the boardroom, I have to convince them of the danger./ with that thought, and a loud groan, she stood up and got dressed.  
  
The first thing Bobby was aware of when he woke up was the ice on the headboard of the bed he shared with his brother, the next was that the blankets had caught fire. He quickly extinguished the fire, then he looked at his brother who had just woken up and their look said a thousand things, mostly that what they underwent was no dream and they knew they would have to do something. Not that they wanted to get involved with that world again.  
  
Ben practically leaped out of his bed. He vaguely payed attention to his alarm clock exploding and the pain of smacking his head against the top bunk. He didn't know what to think about the dream he just had, but he knew it couldn't be good. He would probably get pulled into some kind of adventure. With that he fell back into bed pulling his covers over his head.  
  
Aquial woke with a start swirling the water around her in her shock. The dream would defiantly add up to something. She knew she would have to be ready for anything. MAN, just when she was looking forward to a rest.  
  
Mystique stood up, from her meditation, and walked to the window. The world had decided not to leave her alone. Despite all her attempts to hide herself, a war had come to her. She would have to prepare herself for a fight. She glared out the window, wishing that those people hadn't come in her head, but the world would always invade where it wasn't wanted. She would wait.  
  
An elder man stood at a window and laughed. As the sun rose, a new team was being formed, they just didn't quite know it yet. 


	3. Raven

RAVEN  
  
Raven had been debating with herself for almost a day and a half before she finally got the nerve to leave her small, old-fashioned cabin, in the middle of nowhere. Of course that would have been great, had she not walked back in, two seconds later. She was very mad at herself right now because, she had fought in wars and done all kinds of crazy stuff without being the least bit scared, but now she was terrified about going to talk to some old... friends. Well there was the little fact that they had kicked her out, and for such a little thing as yelling at some world leader.   
  
She could do this, all she had to do was tell them what she had to say, leave, then watch as someone else went and saved the world, piece of cake. If it was so simple why was she still sitting in her old orange chair, which she probably should have tossed, like twenty years ago? Probably for the same reason she could not remember the last time she left this house. The anser was not complicated at all, she was terrified of all people under the age of four hundred. She was tired of the loss, if she went out that door now, she would get caught up in all that pain again.   
  
As all these thoughts flew through her head, that old chair she was sitting on, slowly gave way, until, it broke. Raven looked up in shock when she realized that she was now sitting on the floor. "ALRIGHT," she cried out at the ceiling, shaking her fist. "I'll go." Muttering curse words under her breath, she prepared to go to town.   
  
The profanities continued all the to town, as she had quite forgotten how far she was from the little village, especially when you had to walk. When she looked for a cabin in the middle of nowhere, she really didn't plan for all contingencies. As a result of this slight oversight it took her around two hours to walk to the small town of Lilrin, and it took her another half hour to find a working vid-booth.   
  
When she finally found said booth, she sat down, praying her credit chips were up to date, and started fiddling with the controls. She had forgotten how complicated life had become. When she finally figured out how to use this newer model she spoke into thin air.  
  
"Obsidian, directors office." The Immortal said to the machine, trying her best to sound composed and not harassed in any way.  
  
"One moment please," the computer replied, in that overly cheerful, female voice, that always made Raven want to reach in and strangle it. She sat, there waiting to be connected, silently cursing, dreams, fate, immortality and everything else that led to her sitting here, in this tiny town, desperately trying to contact people she disliked.  
  
"This is Obsidian," said another overly cheerful voice, as a fake, overly done, female, face appeared on the screen, "Please state the name of the person you would like to address and the reason for trying to contact them, They will be informed and if you would leave your name and address they will try to get back to you."  
  
Raven silently counted to ten and said in her best, I'm talking to an idiot, voice, "I am Raven, otherwise known as Hele Debuan, Eve Aphrodite, and several million other names. My reason for calling is that I have reason to believe the world will end." She glared at the machine as it showed no change, "Tell Walter Elsinger, that Raven vid-phoned him, to tell him that there is some big cataclysm coming and that I'm in my cabin should he wish to come pick me up and find out more!" With that she slammed the end button, and stalked off in the direction of her cabin.   
  
Two days later she was sitting in her cabin, very ticked off, all the work she had went to and the blaurgs couldn't even bother coming. As she fumed, she heard a knock at the door. Grinning she got up and glided towards the door.  
  
"Hey, took your sweet time, didn't you." Raven said trying to keep from sounding smug, as she opened her front door. Her smile faded as she saw the person at the door. It was a young, blond, women, probably the secretary to someone's secretary, certainly not who she expected.  
  
"Well, You are a very hard person to track down Miss Downs." The women at the door said, with a slick smile that told Raven the women did not want to be here babysitting someone she thought of as nothing but a crazy ex-employee. Raven flinched at the name she hadn't gone by for years, trying not to show the other women that she had struck home. First blow had been set.  
  
"Please, call me Raven." That was all she would say to this stranger. "Are we going now, I was ready days ago." She kept her voice tart, trying stop the other women from getting the upper hand. Obviously her initial assessment was quite wrong, this women was obviously quite the mover and shaker to know that name.   
  
"My name is Erica Stone." The women said, the irritation showing in her voice now, as Raven walked through the door without her.  
  
"I didn't ask," the thief replied with pure satisfaction showing on her face. She walked out of her cabin and into the waiting hover without even looking back. Game, set, and match.  
  
The two women didn't speak for the whole way to Obsidian. Miss Stone was obviously analyzing Raven and Raven was busy trying to reorientate herself with hovers and stop the torrent of images that kept threatening to bubble forth from her sub-conscious, from her dream. The hover was much more luxurious, then when she last was in one, but she had never been in a limo hover before. Soon they were at headquarters, which hadn't changed much, much faster then she remembered being possible.   
  
Ms Stone made way too much of a show when giving her official badge to the guard on duty. (Raven actually remembered tutoring the guard, who was a telekinetic, when she used to work here.)  
  
"Hello, Krisian," She said to the familiar guard, with a smile on her face. "Good to see you again. I hope that you kept up your lessons."   
  
"Raven, it's good to see you're back and yes I have." Krisian said, quietly, as she handed Raven her guest pass. The two women exchanged a nod, then Raven quickly followed Ms. Stone into Obsidian, home of the League of Extraordinariness. Again the ageless thief had to fight her strong impulse to flee.   
  
She then saw the one person who kept her from bolting from this building, from running and letting the world fall into whatever this new threat was, alright so she would never actually do that but she was quite tempted. The beautiful, sweet, innocent, luckster, Penny Charmer. She was much older then Raven had last seen her but it was definitely her. When the girl saw Raven she ran over with a smile.  
  
"Are you back to stay?" Penny asked hesitantly, trying not to let hope leak in to her voice or face. She had jumped with hope at every vid call, every present, every small visit but not this time.  
  
"Sorry, Pen. As soon as I deliver my message, I'm outta here." For the first time that thought actually made her almost cry, but just for a second. "Sorry kid, I gotta go. I'll probably be gone and out of this situation by the time you get out of your next class." She wanted to stay and talk but her "escort" had went on ahead without her and now had quite the lead. She didn't want to admit it but the place was different and she was a tad afraid of getting lost. So with one last remorseful look back she ran up ahead.   
  
She went so fast that she didn't hear Penny quietly mummer aside, "That's what you think."   
  
The immortal was very thankful for her great stamina, because she wasn't puffing when she finally caught up to her "guide." The other women looked at her with scorn when arrived beside her.   
  
Her whole body tensed as she recognized the room that they had stopped in front of, the briefing room. She was going to have to present her dream in front of strangers and people she didn't trust or like. She walked cautiously into the room, trying to watch all the different inhabitants of the chamber.  
  
"Thank you for coming Raven," Walter Elsinger said. To Raven's surprise his voice was actually quite welcoming. She nodded to him, mentally thanking him for his unexpected kindness of not making it seem like she had crawled back. Though this treatment put up her "internal radar," why was he being so nice to her. She grew even more wary as she walked up to the podium at the front of the room.  
  
"I'm glad to be here," if Walt could be nice then so could she, unless she found out it was a scam, then he would really be in for it. As she regained her bearings she silently cased the room. Everyone who was there, she either recognized or knew their type, except an elderly gentlemen sitting in the corner, watching her intently. He seemed different somehow. She shook it off and got ready to say what she came there to say.  
  
"I came here to tell you about a dream I had." She could see all the heads shaking, and hear the murmur of disinterest, already, and she had just begun. The room was filled with politicians and bureaucrats, who probably had never actually fought a war in their lives. With a deep breath, she continued. "I know I'm not a oracle, and I really am glad of that, but I also know that this dream either has happened, is happening, or will happen. I also know that others are involved." People by now were beginning to look like they were just going to stand up and walk out of there. "I know it's sounds crazy but..." She trailed of it was if a bomb went of in her head, suddenly the pictures started to make sense. "Someone's going back, to change history, to destroy the first League!" The words came haltingly but it all was starting to fit in her head, now she knew why she received the message. She had known the original League, so she would be more receptive.   
  
A women in a tacky grey suit stood up and asked the very question on everyone's minds, "What do you want us to do about this?"  
  
Raven yelled back, "Go back in time, stop him."  
  
Another suit stood up and said, snidely, "Do you have any proof to back up your strange claim?"  
  
Hanging her head a bit, Raven said in a quiet voice, "no." With that one word she knew she had lost.  
  
By now two security thugs had come and were pulling her out of the chamber, as she went she heard one of the petty bureaucrats yell angrily, "We will not violate temporal law just for your hallucinations. As she left she saw the old man nodding almost as if he expected this.   
  
While walking down the hallway she shook off her guards, she could walk out on her own accord, thank you very much. Thank goodness Penny was in class and didn't see this. For goodness sakes, most people don't even get kicked out of the single most important building on this planet once, let alone twice twice.  
  
As she walked she suddenly felt faint, as if she was under water, she saw confused images, and all she could hear was a pen, scratching on paper. Raven shrugged it off, thinking, I tried, there's nothing more I can do. In her heart, of hearts, though, she still felt as if there was something more she could and should do.  
  
That night as Raven slept fitfully in a hotel room, waiting to go to her little cabin, the old man was writing a message, on old paper rather then typing it on a terminal. Though he didn't write much, he was very careful with the wording and placement of each sentence. This was obviously a very important note for him. It read like this,   
  
Raven,   
  
I know you are correct, meet me at the Skinner pub, I will try to explain everything. Do not give up yet, you are just uncovering the pieces to the puzzle.   
  
signed,   
  
a concerned friend.   
  
He leaned back in his chair and smiled, yes, everything was going according to plan. She has started to figure it out and the others will soon follow. This will work. His old eyes closed as he thought of what tomorrow may bring.  
  
As his eyes closed the dreams began again for The immortal, the half-Atlantian, the tech-void, the brothers of the elements and the telepath.  
  
Authors comments to reveiwers  
  
LADY LILRIN: Thank you for "going to the main event" and for you kind words, I'm  
  
really glad you like it, hope you enjoyed this chapter and the slight tribute to was you in there.  
  
Krisian Rose: Thank you for telling me about the tenses shifting, it's been fixed. I wrote something very similar in my trailer for this fic so that's how it got confused. If you like Aquial already your going to adore her by the end, sadly she is not in this chapter. As for what the old man has in store I could tell you but that would ruin the story. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and  
  
your slight tribute. 


	4. First Meetings

First meetings...

Raven woke up to an insistent knocking on the door to the small hotel room that she was staying in. Practically growling, she rolled out of bed and went to answer the bratlin door. By the time she got there the rude individual had already left, but they had left a small envelope which enclosed a brief note addressed to her. The immortal read the note several times over before sitting on the bed to contemplate it. On the one hand she automatically distrusted anyone who called them selves a concerned friend, and she really didn't want to get any more involved then she already was. On the other hand she was increasingly curious, and she was getting the feeling that the pieces she had, was just the beginning. She wished this had never started and that she could just go back to her little cabin, and maybe fix that evil orange chair.

In the end curiosity overwhelmed her better judgment, and she pulled her long black coat on and went next downtown to the Skinner Pub. As soon as she entered the door, old memories began to surface. She grinned. This place hadn't changed a bit. In the past it had kept the old ways and it still did, so it still looked like a pub from the1890's. The first League's infamous, invisible member would defiantly have appreciated this. She could practically see him (In his coat and makeup of course) running around, causing mischief.

She looked around as she walked in, wary of an ambush and trying to figure out how she would know her mysterious "friend" when she saw him. Her face lit up in shock as she saw the old man from the briefing room, sitting at a table in the corner. She stalked over to his table, and he casually smiled at her when he saw her.

"I knew you'd come." He didn't sound smug or superior in any way. He was just stating a fact.

"You must be a seer then," the immortal said quietly, "even I wasn't sure of that."

The old man just chuckled and took a sip of his beverage. "Hele Debuan, you and I both know that you could never turn away from anyone in trouble." He covertly looked over his mug at Raven to see her reaction to that name.

For some reason that name didn't provoke the anger in her that it usually did, not coming from him. She had just met this old man yet she seemed to instinctively trust him. She knew she should be far more leery, he knew far too much and she was still unclear of what he wanted from her.

"All right," she said suddenly, "So, why am I here, what is so urgent, that you had me dragged out of bed..." She trailed of mid-rant, at the slight smile on his face. Suddenly it dawned on her, "You sent the dreams? YOU sent the dreams!!"

The immortal shot to her feet, positive that she was being played, quite ready to run out of there. As she turned, however, she saw a slightly familiar face, a young man disguised in a wig and blue eye-contacts. As a result she had to walk a little closer before she figured out that it was the young, tech-void from the dreams.

As Raven stood staring in shock and disbelief, the old man rose up and whispered in her ear, "YOU need to put this new team together in order to save the past."

"So what you mean to say," the thief hissed back, "is that I have to convince the team of outcasts you've picked out for my team, to come with me to save the past, from some catastrophe that you won't elaborate on, when I'm not even convinced whether or not I'm going to go yet." She glared at the man getting even more irritated as he was still smiling, and didn't seem affected in any way by her rant.

"Nice rant," he said, calmly, "can we now get down to business?" It seemed he didn't think it was much of a question as he sat down and looked at her intently, obviously expecting her to do the same.

"I sit because I feel like it," the thoroughly vexed immortal, grumbled, as she sat down across from the mysterious stranger.

"Of course." He said with a slight smile and nod before continuing, "you want it to be your team? Fine, then go over there and talk to him." He indicated the tech-void with a sweep of his arm.

The immortal stared at him in shock and suspicion, he was giving her power over the outcome. What was his game? What did he plan for her? Rather then let him see her anxiety, she walked over to the bar and sat down beside the young man.

Benjamin had just got off from his job repairing hovers, it had been a hard day. He had been invited to a co-worker's house for dinner again, and had to say that he was sick. He just couldn't risk it because if it was found out he was a tech-void he would, at the very least, get fired and perhaps locked up. He had just come to the Skinner Pub for a relaxing drink, then he would go home and try not to dream. He didn't know what was going on or how it involved him, but it scared the heck out of him.

He hadn't been sitting there long when a good looking teenage girl sat down at the bar beside him. He had noticed her earlier sitting with an older man (possibly her father) and they had both seemed to be staring at him.

"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" Raven asked the young man, hoping that he too had been having the dreams and knowing her new "friend" she would bet any money that he had been.

Ben squinted, yes he did know her. He leaped up, startled, because she was one of the people from the dreams that had been tormenting his sleep. He was even more shocked to find that he knew her name, and power.

"Raven," he said cautiously, "your name is Raven and you're immortal, am I right?" He hoped he was wrong and that she would say "no, my mistake" but he knew in his heart he was right on.

"Yes, I'm Raven and unless I miss my mark you're Benjamin," she quickly lowered her voice and leaned in as she finished, "a young tech-void."

He slumped down on the bar silently cursing, dreams, fate, technology and everything else that led to him sitting here in this bar contemplating saving a world that hated him and all his kind.

She smiled, "I know just how you feel, but in the end if we don't do this we're no better then the rest of this weirdo world." Her smile grew as he turned to her.

"I'll listen to what you have to say, but I won't commit to anything." Ben said sounding quite defeated.

"Alright, now that we're both in the same boat, lets go grill that bozo over there." The immortal said, a triumphant grin splitting her face. He stared at her in confusion for a couple minutes before following her back to her table.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Their mysterious source asked Raven, the slightly irritating smile back on his face.

Before Raven could form a snarky reply Ben stepped in with his own indignant comment. "You! You're the one who's been messing with my sleep!"

"I sent the dreams," /Finally he admits it,/ Raven thought until he calmly continued, "is that what you're saying?"

"YES," Both immortal and tech-void said at the exact same time. Raven had long ago gotten ticked off with these half-truths, and Ben was already mad at this presumptuous old man, who thought he could mess with others lives.

"Well, since you've been so patient, and since time is running out I will tell you what is going on." The old man started his story, as the two extraordinary individuals leaned in.

Before he could continue there was a fiery explosion at the door to the bar and the immortal instinctively pulled her two companions down.

MEANWHILE IN INDIA

Mystique, could feel that something was wrong, something had disrupted the link that she could feel with the others. A part of her was glad, she hated the outside world. It was violent, completely unpredictable and it hurt her head. She tried to calm her turbulent thoughts, but she couldn't stop the feelings. She started at a knock on her door, who would find her here. Slowly she walked to the door. She stepped back startled as she saw the person on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing here!" She asked trying to remain calm.

"We need to talk," the stranger at the door replied.

Authors notes

Haaaaa Haaaa, Um please don't kill me. Sorry for taking so long to update, (for me.) Well here's to my two reviewers.

Krisian Rose: Yes, well the town was named after a war hero. Yes you're a telekinetic guard, just don't use it against me. I've never seen spykids, but I guess the caparison is valid (And I have a friend in his 20's who loves spy kids.) Yes they were jerks, well if they were nice I would have to completely change m story. Yep I'm sure Skinner would approve. So now I take my slinky, and then I hide.

Lady Lilrin: Thank you, but you may not think I'm so sweet after this chapter. Yes, Raven is dark, angry, and mysterious. I'm glad you like her. Hope you also like the other characters introduced in this chapter.


	5. Usually Warrant Introductions

...Usually Warrant Introductions

Mystique, could feel that something was wrong, something had disrupted the link that she could feel with the others. A part of her was extremely glad, she hated the outside world, it was violent, completely unpredictable and it hurt her head. She tried to calm her turbulent thoughts, but she couldn't stop the feelings. She started at a knock on her door, who would find her here. Slowly she walked to the door. She stepped back startled as she saw the person on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked trying to remain calm.

"We need to talk," the stranger at the door replied.

The telepath had not been shocked in a long time, but that exact person standing at her door, at that exact moment in time had completely caught her completely off guard.

"How did you find me and what do you want?" The immortal sighed as she sat down on her meditation mat and practically glared up at the irritating teenager. Even though they had never actually met before, she knew the half-breed well.

"It was actually amazingly simple finding you, especially for someone who is desperately trying to hide and also I just seemed to know where to look, and as to what I want!" The girl paused and composed herself, realizing that she had been shouting, this woman unnerved her more then she cared to admit. "I want to know why you have been sending these dreams." She stepped into the room, jumping back startled when she heard a loud squeak under her foot.

"Do not worry Aquial. It is only my cat's white squeaky mouse." Mystique said calmly. "As for these dreams," here she paused, obviously quite annoyed, "not only am I not send them but I have been receiving them as well. I have no clue how or why they are occurring, and it vexes me."

"Wow," Aquial said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "The great Mystique doesn't know something! Now that's gotta be a first." She was a tough individual and she really had no time for telepath's, especially this telepath, who claimed to be such a pacifist, and so she shunned any kind of contact, even with people she had made promises to.

"Well, now that you have your answer child, go, please." The emotions swarming Mystique from young Aquial were practically destroying her mind.

"Nuh uh, you and I are going to go, try to find out what's what." The Atlantian halfling said, trying not to look smug at the look of shock on the other women's face. "What? You didn't see or feel or whatever, that coming?" She was tying not to gloat but it felt so good.

"I see, running to the battle call like a good little soldier are you!" The telepath shot back, though she had to admit that her resolve was failing. "I'm not interested, now get out of my home!" She ordered the redhead.

"Fine," said the girl, "I will, but you can't say that I didn't tell you what you have to do to stop the dreams." With that she stalked out of the mental sorceress's home.

Mystique rarely let things get to her but somehow the passion of that girl affected her deeply. The more she tried to push it out of her mind the more she remembered of it.

Her seven cats, Tele, Misty, Aura, Memory, Peace, Cheatachu and Empath, came running up to her and nuzzling her the moment they realized that she was in distress. Tele, being the most playful one, brought her the mouse that had been stepped on by Aquial a second ago. A friend had bought it for them because, like Mystique it had purple eyes. She sat trying to meditate but, unlike usual the seven cats refused to let her concentrate. Tele bated the mouse around her seated form, Misty "serenaded" her, Aura laid in her lap, while the others just generally made nuisances of themselves.

"What is it you seven want?" Mystique demanded of her cats, extremely annoyed. "I have already fed you and I am trying to meditate right now, so knock it off!"

Her cat's were not known for being obedient but they had never been this bad before. They ran about yowling and they kept scratching at the door, then running away when she came to let them out and some of her annoying felines even tried pushed at her feet and encouraging her to go through the door.

"Oh no, I will not follow her, I am staying right here!" She glared down at her cats trying to let them know that she had figured out there little game. Then she continued much calmer. "I will not go to save this world of anger and pain. This mad, mad world." Her steam of anger was now entirely spent and her cats were not the least bit impressed.

She was now pacing her space and the cats were following her every move with their eyes. It was getting quite disconcerting, even for a stoic, cat loving, being gifted in all the mental arts, such as herself.

"What," she finally asked, "Why do you all care." She had been alone with them for so long that it didn't feel the least bit strange to be having an argument with seven cats.

The headache that had started even before the Atlantian had showed up had now become a full blown migraine. For the first time in her entire life, she was uncertain of what to do. On thee one hand she wanted to keep her peace and security on the other she was not cold hearted, she knew that millions could die. She finally locked all seven cats in their room, and sat down to meditate on all the confusing thoughts filtering through her being.

AQUIAL

The girl had stormed into the Shezret's home in a very bad mood, which had got worse as the conversation went on. That had slowly changed as she had walked down the road, she had started to feel lighter, as if she knew everything would be alright. She was practically skipping when she got to town. She then felt a wave of heat hit her and she fainted, thinking of how she really had found Mystique.

The dreams had hit Aquial every night, varying in intensely. The only thing that had truly struck her, though, was that she knew one of the faces. The more she thought, the more thought of her parents old papers and photos. Her mother had kept her small house in Ashern, Manitoba, "just in case," as she had always said, well now it looked like that just might help this beautiful ex-soldier solve a mystery. She swam from her cove, where she had been plotting and planing her next move, beginning her three day journey to her mothers old home, where she hoped she would find anser's to her many questions.

The redheaded halfling woke up cursing at being caught off guard by whoever just knocked her unconscious, she grew even madder when she saw Mystique crouching beside her and what seemed to be the two brothers from the dreams. The younger man had a suspiciously sheepish look on his face.

"Sorry," he quietly muttered, after being elbowed in the ribs by his older brother.

"What are you doing here Shezret," she said coldly to Mystique, "and what in the name of the great ocean happened to me?" She stood up, shaking off any help that was attempted. Then attempting to regain her shredded pride, she glared at the others.

"I had changed of mind," Mystique replied cooly, ignoring the barb, "and your lucky I did. It seems that one of our allies almost burned you to death." She tried to not sound smug, but it was very hard.

Justin finally spoke up in his defense, "Sorry, I thought you were a Maco." His brother swatted him in the back of the head and muttered, "way to go, almost killing someone who could actually help us."

"So what now?" Aquial finally, reluctantly asked, she hated to do it but she was lost.

"We have to find the other two." Mystique calmly replied, then in a little more worried voice she added, "I sense something may have happened to them. With that the little gang started off.

AUTHORS NOTES

I would like to request that everyone read my authors notes, even if you've already read them, a lot of your questions will be answered. Chapters may slow down as I am now in school. Alright on to your reviews.

cheatachu82- hey wow new blood. Welcome to my wonderful story hope you stay. Hope you liked this chapter and your little tribute.

Lady Lilrin-I'm glad you still like Raven, and think I rock, and yes you are still a town. Wow I must have unconsciously used your brother as a model, as for the tech-void thing read my notes. The cats and I thank you for the mouse.

Krisian Rose- yes a cliffi, now calm down and breath. I ended half of the cliffi in this chapter, the rest will end soon. I know how you feel I just started school yesterday, what a drag.

Well another chapter went out, happy! Well onto the next chapter.


	6. Days old Memo

**DAYS OLD MEMO**

Memo to The League of Extraordinary's director Walter Elsinger

Date: August 5, 2043

There is only so long that you can ignore me. I feel that the situation needs to be dealt with and a new team must form to rectify it. The time line must be preserved at any cost. That is why I ask you to put aside your doubts and give me the funds to do I what I know must be done or I will do it without authorization.

Led by Eve "Raven" Aphrodite who is as you are well aware an immortal who helped found this agency. I think this new league will far surpass any that have come before it.

Eve is a willful, sure-of-herself, teenager. She can sometimes be quite difficult to work with, but her experience, powers and leadership potential all make up for that quite nicely. Her power's all come from the little statuette she keeps at her side. Statuetta, as it likes to be called, is an intelligent being who can only communicate with Eve and only on the thought plain. Eve can alter her form slightly to look like another person, she of course can't die by any means (self regenerating) and she can do things like go forever without eating, or sleeping, walk through fire and breath under water.

The brothers Bobby and Justin Correl, were born and raised in the Egyptian heat, are as opposite as can be. Young Justin is head-strong, temperamental, impulsive, and argumentative. He can throw heat with his hands and changes the temperature in the room to hot in a second. Bobby on the other hand is remote, quiet, reserved, and almost shy. He can turn the room frigid in an instant, and throws blasts of frozen air. When their mother was pregnant with Justin, she and young Bobby were struck with an intense fever, their mother died but the boys survived and got these intense powers. The two young men do not even look that much alike, 17 year old Justin at 6"4 looms over 22 year old Bobby at 5"4. Justin is more muscular, with intense, brown eyes (that dance with fire when he's mad), very dark tanned skin and long fire colored hair. Bobby is more willowy, with light (almost white) skin and hair, and pale whitish, blueish, eyes. Though despite their personality differences and constant squabbles they love each other very much and are quite the force to be reckoned with.

Now on to our first member from Atlantis, Aquial Jones. She is an air breather as well as a water breather. Her mother was from Canada and her father was from Atlantis. She has the typical Atlantian powers of water control, and power senses. She is incredibly strong both physically and mentally. A tough looking girl of 16, she has long, thick, very red hair, tanned skin, yellow eyes, gills and stands at an impressive 5"6. She has a military discipline, and a strict personality, as she does not have many friends due to her halfling nature.

Next is a Tech-void. I know that people don't like having them around because of their technical powers, they age, very quickly and have been known to go crazy. I feel we owe it to them to have one on our team as it was our fault that they exist. We put those untested nanobots in those women. His name is Benjamin Turner, he stands at 5"6, with blond (already starting to turn grey) hair, and pure grey eyes. He is very moody (like most tech-voids) but he is very sane and intelligent. As a side bonus he will be able to speak to our electronic member Snarl and we will find out more about him/her.

Mystique is an Asian mystic, she is the best in all Psi abilities. She stands 5"2, with long silver hair, purple eyes, white skin and a musical voice. She is a mothering, kind, women, though a tad selfish and very anti-social

I also feel that I should mention a young cadet. A nine year old orphan named Penny, who can manipulate luck. She looks like a pure innocent child with her strawberry blond hair, her wide eyes, and her small figure.

I personally think that together they will be able to handle the time travel situation that has cropped up, handle it quite nicely.

Sincerely yours

Director Fuzz

**AUTHORS NOTES**

Alright dumb chapter. I have hit a slight case of writers block, also I need a beta. It is possible this story may be put on hiatus. This chapter takes place about a week before the first chapter. It is a memo between the mysterious old man and Walter Elsinger.

Krisian Rose: I'm glad you still like my wonderful Aquial, and I'm glad your starting to like the brothers. I'm actually not a cat person myself, but my sister is and I dedicated that chapter to her. Thank you for looking back, greatness.

Lady Lilrin: Yes the cat's like the mouse. I'm working on getting a beta to iron out the spelling and punctuation.


	7. Fighting your Demons

**FIGHTING YOUR DEMONS **

Raven was _not_ a happy camper, in fact, she was very angry. Life was just not going her way at this moment in time. Actually, as a matter of fact, life was running in the opposite direction. It had been for months now and she was getting extremely tired of it.

She had been the first to recover from the blast and she immediately surveyed the condition of her companions. Ben had been knocked unconscious, but was seemingly otherwise unharmed. The old man was also unconscious, but it seemed that he had a broken arm as well.

Raven, being Raven, her first impulse was to flee, to run far away and to never look back. Then, also because she was Raven, she immediately quenched that urge. So she started looking around the bar to make sure none of the innocent bystanders had been hurt, or, Statuettea forgive, dead. Thank the mountain there hadn't been many people in the bar. After a quick assessment Raven decided that all the people had gotten out of the way of the explosion in time, leading only to minor injuries.

The "Skinner Bar," on the other hand, had been completely trashed. The immortal grieved for the loss of a safe place and a piece of history. Though she mostly grieved for the loss of her last piece of the League.

She had been indecisive before about whether or not she would fight, but now she would be in it if simply for revenge. These people would pay for their disrespect for a man who bled for them. This incident also reminded her that while she may be not too fond of the present and was downright leery of the future, she loved the past and if someone was planning on meddling with that, they would have just have come through her first. Of course she still wasn't sure about this team thing, or their mysterious benefactor, it just wasn't her thing.

She walked stealthily to the door to see why their attackers had not attempted to enter the bar. As she looked out she was shocked to see no one there. That had been the point. Surely the attackers didn't think that small explosion would harm her in any way or anyone else for that matter. So they must have been teasing the team, trying to distract them, or perhaps they were still hiding in the darkness.

A movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention back to her companions, who were beginning to wake up. Which was good, she was itching for a fight and would need backup. Also, she really wanted to know all this mysterious old man knew about all of their predicaments.

Ben came groggily to consciousness. "Ugh, how much did I have to drink? I mean what happened?" He murmured as he looked around.

Raven had to smile at that comment. _'So young,'_ she thought wistfully. "The bar was bombed," she replied in a terse tone of voice. She had slipped so far into full leader mode that she didn't see the old man smile and nod slightly. Ben looked up at Raven, then immediately started looking for the nearest escape route. Benjamin Turner was many things; a hero was not one of them. He was not going to get blown up to save a system he didn't believe in no matter how much Raven made him think of the good things in this life.

MEANWHILE WITH THE OTHERS...

Aquial was starting to get very cranky. They had been wandering around for hours following Mystique's "feeling," and it was starting to wear on her nerves. Plus young Justin was a horrible traveling companion.

"Are we there yet?" Justin asked for the thousandth time. This question finally made Aquial turn and start to yell at him, before being stopped by Mystique.

"Quiet, all of you!" The telepath quietly demanded, "We are not alone." That statement lead to the other three members of the little party immediately getting into battle positions. Fire spouted out of Justin's palms, icy balls leaped from Bobby's hands, and Aquial let water begin to flow off her body. They may not be the best of people but they were the best fighters around. Mystique on the other hand started to back away, thinking, _'I'm no fighter, why am I even here?_' Then she shocked herself and let her internal power glow in her eyes, she didn't like to fight but she would and so she stood her ground. Then thirty-two men dressed in black surrounded the heroes and started approaching. The quartet looked at each other, as the odds were eight to one against them - even with their special abilities, that was a stretch.

"Is that all you got," Justin sneered out, with an almost feral grin and for a second Mystique almost believed he could take down all thirty-two by himself.

"Yeah," Aquial continued for him, glaring at their attackers, "We can take all of you down in two seconds flat."

Bobby didn't say a word, he just arched his eyebrow and gave a half grin and his eyes seemed to promise pain for any baddies who came near.

Mystique just stared at them. They were acting like nothing was wrong, like this was just an everyday occurrence, and that they had a hope in the elements of surviving. Despite not understanding, she too took a brave pose, perhaps thinking they could win would make it so. Even as the villains approached, she cursed ever leaving her home. She was fighting for her life; it was the most intense battle of her existence. The assassins were obviously trained for one purpose, to destroy all extraordinary individuals. She was so focused on fighting that she didn't even notice that a familiar mental hit was converging on their position. It wasn't until a purple energy ball took out the person she was fighting that she realized her former student, Valandra Moon was in the clearing.

Aquial was silently cursing, there was only so long that she could keep up with this fast pace of kicks, punches and water sprays. She couldn't help but wish she had a sword. Immediately after she had this thought, a beautiful Ktana appeared in her hands. She didn't stop to wonder how it got there she just kept fighting, but she was now armed and in the end that was all that mattered.

The brothers were fighting in tandem. They went ice blast, duck, fire blast, dodge, punch, shift, kick, move, head-butt, etc. Justin was actually enjoying himself, not that he would ever admit that, especially not to his brother. Bobby on the other hand had immersed himself in the routine and the timing of the fight, thinking of he and his brother's best way to survive. All of a sudden they both realized that someone they both knew was in the clearing with them, fighting with them. It was their old playmate Valandra Moon.

Once this amazing young woman joined the battle, our heroes truly began to have a chance of winning and they pressed this advantage, until the battle was finished. Then the four unlikely heroes turned to their rescuer, wondering how the heck she had known where they were.

"Alright," Valandra said with a grin and a clap, "Do you want to know where the rest is or not?"

**AUTHORS NOTES **

sister: Thank you so much honey, glad to see I can count on you and don't worry

Penny will be back soon enough. Hope you can log in soon.

LXG FAN: Alright, sending off my flying monkeys. Though I don't see how you can say I can't spell when you misspell spell. Mostly I just feel sorry for your intolerance.

Lady Lilrin: Thank you for the cookies, and here is the next chappie.

Krisian Rose: YEAH, you're here, oh thank you. Also, yes very boy crazy, though I do admit I wrote them hot.


	8. Fifghting and Meeting

**FIGHTING AND MEETING**

Though Valandra Moon was renowned for many things, she was defiantly best known for her uncanny ability to be in the right place at exactly the right time: a trait she was dang proud of. She had heard about this insane quest through the (literal) grapevine, and had just known that those idiots would need her help; so off she went.

Valandra knew Justin and Bobby from when she had been raised by the Maccos, before her nanny staged a breakout and took her to Mystique to hone her already abundant mental skills. Their personalities had clashed constantly and so she had left Mystique's hide away in the mountains, turning pretty wild in the process. Then she decided to join "The League of Extraordinariness" where she met and been taken under the wing of the amazing Raven. If that crazy immortal was involved then it would be a messy, hard run, sloppy job. It would also be exhilarating fun and in the end all the good guys would get out alright, cause that was Raven's priority, she always got her team out okay.

So she tracked down the team and found that half was in immediate danger, so she just jumped right in to help. She hadn't expected much in return, but the look of shock on their faces was priceless. She loved surprising old friends. She'd never met the young Atlantian Halfling before, but Moon decided she loved the redhead's style. Aquial handled a sword almost as good as Valandra herself and she had been doing really good against multiple attackers. "I think I'll be sparring with that one later for sure!" She giggled to herself as she fought off the last of their assailants.

"Alright," Valandra said with a grin and a clap, "Do you want to know where the rest are or not?" She inwardly laughed as Justin's look of shock turned into confusion.

"Valandra Moon! You?…How?...Where'd?" The young man of fire just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he and the others had just been saved by someone he used to baby-sit.

Bobby rolled his eyes at his brother before turning to their old friend and saying, "What my, ever so articulate, younger brother is trying to say is, how did you find us and how do you know where the others are?" He paused a moment before saying, "or that there are others at all?"

Aquial then butted in, "Ummm, hang on, I have another important question. WHO is this exactly?"

Valandra grinned, "I knew I liked your style." She and the others proceeded to fill Aquial in on Val's complicated background. She finished off with, "as to how I know things about your quest, it's hard to keep psychic omissions of this magnitude secret for long." She shook her finger in Mystique's face playfully, "Shame on you for trying to leave me out of all the fun!"

"As for how she knew to come and save us," Mystique added dryly, "she has always had a knack for showing up at exactly the right place at exactly the right time."

"Bingo, Misty my dear, you're still as perceptive as ever." The Wicca couldn't help but smirk at the grimace that passed across her old teacher's face at the nickname. Aquial also noticed and stowed it away in her brain for later as ammo against the proud psychic.

"If you know where the rest of the group is could you please inform us immediately?" Mystique politely requested of the girl, in an attempt to save her dignity.

"I'll do better then that," Valandra trilled cheerfully, "I'll show you." She then proceeded to skip off, shouting back over her shoulder, "Hurry it up, I wouldn't want any of you to get lost."

As a result of this sudden move, the fluffy teen had caught the group completely off guard, so that they had to run a bit to catch up with her. So they were off to find the rest of there group, each a bit leery, each with there own reasons, each unaware of what to expect, each completely unprepared for what lay ahead, and the one leading the way cackling with delight over the entire situation.

IN THE SKINNER BAR

Without a second thought Raven grabbed Ben by the scruff of his neck and pushed him back down. Ben didn't even put up a little fight; he really hadn't wanted to get away that badly.

"Stay where you are boy," Raven tersely admonished him, "we're all in this together now."

"Do--not--call--me BOY!" Ben grumbled. He was really starting to get ticked off because of this bad day.

The two were so engrossed in their conflict that they didn't see the old man falling into a kind of trance; though they both were drawn away from their personal conflict when the whole room seemed to flicker.

JUST OUTSIDE OF THE SKINNER BAR

The fire blew up higher; there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Not that anyone was dumb enough to try. NO ONE, would dare try to mess with the Maccos splinter cell.

They had fulfilled their master's objective. This pathetic new league had been destroyed. It was strange that for the first few minutes it had seemed there had only been a small explosion, very little damage and no fire, and then there had been that odd flicker. That didn't matter now, though, now the fire consumed the building, and its idiotic new league. Including the two deserters, and the man who'd started this whole fiasco; who'd dared to think he could fight this soldier's all powerful master. He didn't know much more then that, but he knew he had done all he had been told to do.

He was completely startled when he and his team were attacked from behind, by the very people he thought were dead. Hadn't they been in the building? He had no more time to think about that as he threw himself into the battle. Anyone who opposed his master would die.

As Valandra jump-kicked yet another of the pathetic rebels she was really beginning to wonder if this was it. She'd had more fun wrestling with the spirits and animals in the mountains, this was just disappointing.

Mystique however, was rather irritated. Valandra had lead them to yet another drop out battle. One thing she didn't understand was why no one was attacking the bar, which was barely damaged. Especially if that was where the rest of the team was waiting.

Meanwhile, Bobby had decided that he was going to kill Justin if the boy didn't smarten up. Justin had decided to distribute a little pay back to the splinter cell and he was going to get himself hurt if he didn't take it easy. Just because the boy threw fire, why did it mean he had to be such a hot head? Thinking strategically, Bobby threw a burst of cold air at his brother, to "cool" him down a bit.

Aquial was fighting her way into the Skinner bar to call the people inside to come out and play. Seeing Raven look at her, she waved the immortal to join in.

Pretty soon the whole team was fighting the confused soldiers, eventually driving them back. Once the last one had left there really was only one thing to say.

"So when do we get to kick some serious butt?" Valandra emphatically asked, "I'm Bored!"

AUTHORS NOTES

Sci-fi Kane runs and hides, before issuing a heartfelt apologizing for the long wait and running for her life.

Naitriab: Thank you for your kind words. I love your stories so it is such an honor to have you complement mine. Now just continue on with your stories as the anticipation is killing me.

Krisian Rose: Thank you so much for Betaing my work I will tell you no more about Valandra then I have already told you, you'll have to learn with the rest of us, them, I mean, yes. As for Bobby, if I gave him to you who would keep Justin in line? As for Justin, of course he's hotheaded he throws fire. Well again thank you.

Note from new Beta Lady Knightmare: Hello to all you out there in net reader-land! Just stepping it to congratulate my friend the author on her wonderful writing! And thank you for letting me beta for you, it was fun to be a part of your masterpiece. Keep up the good work and HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY! Give the girl a hand folks!


	9. Vagueness and Nonsense

**Vagueness and Nonsense**

Pretty soon the whole team was fighting the confused soldiers, eventually driving them back. Once the last one had left there really was only one thing to say.

"So when do we get to kick some serious butt?" Valandra emphatically asked, "I'm Bored!"

Fuzz had not participated in the battle; he now limped out of the remains of the bar, which was not on fire and replied to the girl, "Many years ago, Valandra, many years ago."

"Here he goes, with all the vagueness and nonsense, AGAIN! Speak sense man!" Raven snapped.

"Fine," the old man began, "I wish you to go back into the past, to save the first League from destruction."

"They can take care of themselves," Raven shot back, "believe me I know." She certainly did, Raven had worked with the original League. She'd joined it only a few years after it was founded.

"A man from our time has gone back to stop the success of their first mission," Fuzz continued, as if Raven had not spoken.

The group looked at each other warily and finally Mystique spoke, "I have not cared about the outside world for so long. My telepathy sees to that, and these petty wars that people insist on placing themselves in are also a source for my alienation."

Aquial replied to that statement by hissing "Your telepathy is not stopping you from caring; Mystique, and the wars might go better if you'd actually gotten off your arse and helped."

The other members of the group were grumbling among themselves, and Ben was actually trying to sneak off. He'd had more than enough of this; no way was he risking his neck to protect the start of this society.

Valandra meanwhile, hadn't been paying attention to any of this. She was ignoring them all, twittering happily to herself as she conjured up several stunning butterflies and a parade of bubblegum-pink bubbles for amusement. Raven smoothly leaned over and elbowed her in the ribs, "Will you at least pretend to be interested, you pretentious little hair-ball, after all you voluntered for this!" She hissed. Valandra just grinned merrily and tossed several bubbles in Ravens direction, which Raven angerily swated.

Aquial sauntered up to Raven and said, "Just look at them, they're misfits not soldiers, this is never going to work!" Raven replied with a scowl as she grabbed Ben by the scruff of the neck to halt his escape.

Finally, when Fuzz had become totally fed up, he yelled, "QUIET, you can all bicker or kill each other, after you've saved the past. Then once the mission is over you can all just fall back into the dark holes you've been living in."

For a moment everyone just stared at the old man, shocked by his outburst. Then slowly, one by one, they all sheepishly nodded acceptance, except Valandra who was busily turning her butterflies into bright blue bubbles.

"Now, can you tell us EXACTLY what it is you want us to do?" Raven asked quietly. Her tone had lost some of its defiant edge and was now, almost respectful.  
Fuzz took a few calming breaths before he replied to the immortal. "You must go into the past to stop a madman from the present from destroying the League's future and altering all we hold dear. He is targeting the first mission and attempting to change its outcome. You must stop him."

Raven took a deep breath, held it and let it out. Her face was filled with indecision, but finally she spoke, "Fine, I'll probably regret this in the morning, but I'm in."

Aquial closed her eyes and stepped forward, followed by Justin and Bobby. They were soldiers after all, and it was expected that they would fall in line, despite their doubts. All three looked wary, and Bobby kept glancing at Justin as if to say 'Don't get us both killed.' 

Raven was still holding Ben by the collar, although he had stopped trying to run. She'd just completely forgotten she was holding him, until he asked quietly, "Why us?" Startled, Raven quickly let go of him as he continued, "I mean we have nothing to gain or lose either way. We're societies' outcasts, their dirty laundry." 

"And their favorite scapegoats to boot!" Valandra laughed sarcastically. Ben shot her a dirty look and popped several of her bubbles. Valandra responded with a shrug.

Fuzz turned to the boy and replied, "If you all do this, all of your past crimes will be pardoned, including those that were not your fault but an imprint of society."

"Benjamin Turner, Tec void extraordinaire, at your service," the young man saluted with a slight mock-bow, but he was sincere. What the man offered was a normal life, free of persecution and pain, how could he turn that down? Though technically the man hadn't completly answered his question.

Valandra glanced at Mystique then slowly and seriously looked from Raven, to Aquial, to Justin, to Bobby, to Ben and finally to Fuzz. Finally she drew a deep breath, stepped forward dramatically and said "Me too," in a high pitched, falsely sweet voice.

"You were not invited," a quiet voice spoke out. The whole group turned expectantly to Mystique. "What?" She inquired calmly, "Have you not guessed my answer?"

"You're going to say no!" Aquial muttered and everyone but Raven and Fuzz slowly nodded in agreement.

"Isn't it obvious?" Raven laughed, "She's already said yes." Everyone starred blankly at the immortal, except the old man of course, who just smiled knowingly. "So to paraphrase an old hunter, who was in a similar situation," she continued, "The team is set and the game is on."

"Excuse me," Aquial interrupted, "but what do you mean, she's already said yes!"

"She's here, isn't she?" Fuzz stated calmly.

"I'm here to help you create the portal into the past, am I not?" Mystique prodded softly, "Temporal forces are tricky and you need a stable mind to catch and control a portal."

"All righty then, let's blow this joint!" Valandra cheered with her usual bout of enthusiasm.

"The portal was designed for six, not seven." Fuzz said, "I didn't expect a new arrival." As he spoke the world exploded with color as the portal opened, popping the last of the bubbles.

"Tough cookies old man," Valandra exclaimed, "I'm going whether you like it or not!"

Justin ran into the portal, his brother following closely behind. Then Aquial leaped in, howling back a "Yeehaa!" as she did so. Ben and Mystique eyed each other before slowly walking into the portal. This left Valandra, Raven and Fuzz still standing in the lot. 

Raven walked up to the portal, then turned, "the boy raised an excellent question earlier, and I for one would very much like an answer to it." Raven looked Fuzz straight in the eye, "So why us?" She never got her answer however, as the portal picked that exact moment to begin degrading.

"C'mon Raven," Valandra yelled, impatiently dragging Raven into the portal, "hurry up or we'll miss the bus!"

"Wait," Fuzz cried franticly, "you can't both go in at the same time!" But it was too late, they were gone.

Play it again Sam… A note from the Beta: Hello again my author friend, I've finished beta-ing the new chapter you've sent me. Now hurry up and write some more! This is just getting interesting. K & U love it too! And a big blessed be to all you readers once again!  
-Lady Knightmare & K & U.


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